The Boy Who Watched From Afar

It was the first day of fourth grade at Shinsei High School, and the morning sun shone a little too brightly on the cracked pavement of the schoolyard. Renjiro Takashi adjusted the straps of his worn-out backpack, eyes searching the crowd for a glimpse of Aiko Nakamura—the girl who had lived rent-free in his heart since they first shared a sandbox.
But to her, he was just another face in the sea of classmates.
Renjiro sighed, recalling the countless times he had rehearsed what he’d say to her. “Hi Aiko! Long time no see—”No, too casual.“Hey Aiko, I was wondering if—”No, too desperate.
He needed the perfect reason to talk to her, and it always slipped away at the last second.
He spotted her near the cherry blossom trees, head bent over a book, her hair catching the sunlight like silk. A group of giggling girls clustered around her, but she seemed lost in her own world.
“Aiko…” Renjiro whispered under his breath.
“Oi, Renjiro!” A familiar voice snapped him out of his daydream. It was Daichi Sato, the new transfer student everyone was already buzzing about. He had an easy grin, a mop of messy brown hair, and a confidence that made Renjiro’s stomach clench.
“Yo! Dreaming about your princess again?” Daichi teased, elbowing him playfully.
Renjiro’s face turned crimson. “Shut up, Daichi! It’s not like that—”
Daichi laughed. “Yeah, sure. You’ve been staring at her since forever. Just talk to her already!”
Renjiro’s heart thundered in his chest. If only it were that easy.
Aiko was the school’s shining star—calm, collected, always top of the class. She rarely spoke to boys, especially not the average ones like Renjiro. To her, he was a shadow.
Class began with the usual chaos—students filing in, laughter echoing, chairs scraping the floor. Renjiro took his seat, and fate dealt him a small mercy: Aiko sat directly in front of him.
He could smell the faint perfume of cherry blossoms she always wore, see the way her pen danced across the page with graceful precision. His chest ached.
The teacher droned on about math and history, but Renjiro’s mind was a battlefield of emotions—jealousy, hope, frustration. Every time Aiko turned a page or tucked her hair behind her ear, he memorized it like a prayer.
At lunch, Daichi plopped down next to him, grinning like an idiot. “Dude, I think I’m gonna ask Aiko out.”
Renjiro’s heart plummeted. “You… you’re serious?”
“Why not? She’s cute, and I’m pretty sure she likes me,” Daichi said with a smug grin.
Renjiro’s fists clenched under the table. The thought of Daichi with Aiko was like poison in his veins.
“Do what you want,” Renjiro muttered, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll let you know how it goes,” Daichi said, patting him on the shoulder.
Renjiro watched him walk away, a storm brewing in his chest.
He can’t have her. She’s mine. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.
The day ended with a gray sky and a slow drizzle that matched Renjiro’s mood. As he walked home, he vowed that no matter what, he’d find a way to make Aiko see him.
Even if it meant stepping out of the shadows he’d hidden in for so long.
Because he wasn’t just a face in the crowd anymore.
He was here.